Sounding the whistle on racism terminated my professional journey - Luther Burrell

Important note: This article contains descriptions of racially offensive language and conduct

Ex-England centre Luther Burrell claims that going public to expose racism in professional rugby brought his career to an premature end.

In a June 2022, Burrell characterized racism as being "rife" in the sport, displaying Whatsapp messages and remembering training ground "jokes" he had been exposed to while representing Newcastle.

At that time 34 and out of contract, Burrell's only professional rugby since has been three appearances with guest team the Barbarians.

"I have definitely had to retire because of what occurred," he told reporters.

"I really hoped to continue playing, naturally I did. I pursued that, and it fell through when news emerged that there were investigations underway.

"This situation was challenging - I had to just come to terms with the outcome and understand that this entire process is a lot bigger than me."

A rugby governing body investigation in 2023 found Burrell's claims were true "on the balance of probability", but said it could not gather enough evidence to definitively say they occurred at Newcastle.

Burrell revealed to journalists he also encountered prejudice within the England set-up, during a Test career that saw him earn 15 appearances after his debut in February 2014.

"I have had several distressing experiences within England camp," he stated.

"Certain instances of discrimination and other just old-school mentality that's really inappropriate."

Racism had become normalised in dressing rooms, in Burrell's view.

"This is something that has been disguised as humour and that's been the issue that I've myself experienced and seen," said Burrell, who is of Jamaican heritage.

"During a period of time you just begin to believe that it's the standard and that is acceptable and that it's not malicious, but that's incorrect."

Burrell says he was finally spurred to speak out after a fellow player at Newcastle referred to him as a "slave" and instructed him to put sunscreen on his arms and legs "where chains would be placed."

The governing body said Burrell's revelations had led to "a deeper look at the culture within the elite game and to the introduction of an action plan for the professional game."

"The organization has placed considerable focus on inclusion and diversity in the sport and a substantial amount of work completed both prior and since Luther Burrell came forward and revealed his experiences of racism and class discrimination," it added.

"We are ongoing work with clubs and partners in the elite level to strive for a environment of acceptance but acknowledge this takes time and is an ongoing process."

Every Premiership and PWR club now has face-to-face training on building inclusive cultures, with its effectiveness tracked via individual reports and feedback.

All England players, including youth squads, are educated in being "active bystanders" to step in and protect others from harmful conduct.

"You be so proud of what you have accomplished," Burrell's mother Joyce told him as part of the documentary about his experiences.

"We know it has had this impact on you and ended your playing days, but in our view, you have done so well. We are so proud of you and to have you as a son."

Burrell's father Geoff died shortly after the filming of the documentary, and his sister passed away earlier this year.

Burrell, who grew up on a council estate in Huddersfield, continues his work to make the sport more accessible.

His charitable organization aims to connect with children in disadvantaged communities and support them thrive both on the field with complimentary sports training, mentoring and dietary education.

"My personal intentions are genuine, I want to see the evolution of the sport and if nobody else is prepared to tell their experience then I'll continue to advocate for that cause because I'm not just doing this for my own benefit," he said.

"Everyone involved have an obligation to make the sport as great as it can be and the more I talk about it perhaps the more confident others will feel about sharing their personal stories as well.

"I grab the challenge by the horns and keep carrying this banner and continue supporting this responsibility and accomplish what I can to create opportunities and make the sport more attractive and more inclusive.

"There's a lot of disadvantaged young people and a lot of economic hardship and I sincerely think that rugby has the potential to change their futures, just as it transformed things for me."